Justin J. Wilson
Principal Investigator
jjw275@cornell.edu
Postdoctoral Researchers:
Thines Kanagasundaram
(June 2022 – Present)
Ph.D. 2022,
Radiopharmaceutical Chemistry
Heidelberg University,
M.S. 2017, Chemistry,
Heidelberg University
B.S. 2015, Chemistry,
Heidelberg University
tk573@cornell.edu
Favorite ice cream flavor?
Coconut with cookie topping.
What is the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?
When something is important enough, you do it even if the odds are not in your favor. -Elon Musk
Yangyang Gao
(Oct 2023 – Present)
Ph.D. 2023, Chemistry
Xi’an Jiaotong University
M.S. 2014, Analytical Chemistry,
University of South China
B.S. 2011, Chemical Engineering,
Daqing Normal Universtiy
yg444@cornell.edu
If you didn’t choose to be a chemist, what would you be doing instead?
Denist or seller.
If you were an Olympic athlete, what event would you compete in??
Marathon.
Grant Stec
(Jan 2024 – Present)
Ph.D. 2024, Chemistry
Harvard University
M.S. 2019, Chemistry,
Harvard Univeristy
B.S. 2017, Chemistry
Rice Universtiy
gjs93@cornell.edu
What are three items that you’d bring with you to a desert island?
My cat, cat food, and cat toys. My cat runs my life.
What is your favorite fun fact to share?
I used to short-track speed skate and raced against a couple Olympic medalists…it didn’t end well.
Graduate Students:
Nick Bigham (2020 – Present)
M.S. 2021, Chemistry,
Cornell University
B.S. 2019, Chemistry,
Shippensburg University
npb42@cornell.edu
What music/song is your guilty pleasure?
Anything by Carly Rae Jepsen. She rocks.
What weird thing were you known for in middle school?
I won Class Secretary with the slogan “Pick Nick.”
Haipei Zou (2021 – Present)
B.S. 2020, Chemistry,
University of Sydney
hz565@cornell.edu
What is the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?
Go to bed early (but I never make it).
If you were sailing around the world with 1 person, who would you bring?
Doraemon.
Piyusha Lotlikar (2021 – Present)
B.S. 2020, Chemistry,
Stony Brook University
psl57@cornell.edu
What is your spirit animal?
I think a ocelot because I’m nimble, fairly resourceful, and witty/sharp.
If you were sailing around the world with 1 person, who would you bring?
In terms of practicality, someone who knows how to sail because I do not.
Kevin Lee (2021 – Present)
B.S. 2021, Chemistry,
Binghamton University
kkl37@cornell.edu
If you didn’t choose to be a chemist, what would you be doing instead?
Dog Aquatic Instructor (It’s a real job).
What is the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?
“Why waste time say lot word when few word do trick.” -Kevin Malone
Brian Zhang (2023 – Present)
PhD. Candidate, 2020-present, Biomedical Science,
City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
M.S. 2018-2019, Pharmacy,
Queens’ University at Belfast, UK
B.S. 2014-2018, Pharmacy,
Macau Polytechnic University, Macau, China
yz3236@cornell.edu / yzhang2979-c@my.cityu.edu.hk
What’s your favorite thing about Ithaca?
It snows!
What is the perfect pizza topping combination?
A “for free” note
Jacy Lieberum (2023 – Present)
B.S. 2023, Pharmaceutical Chemistry,
Saint Joseph’s University
jl4248@cornell.edu
How did you choose your major?
I chose my major because I found so much joy as a child in making what I called “concoctions”
with household things. One concoction that I hid in my sock drawer exploded and turned all my
socks blue. I was so proud and it’s been chemistry ever since.
What is your favorite thing about where you grew up?
I loved living so close to the beach!
Undergraduates:
Valerie Chang (June 2022 – present)
Chemistry, Class of 2025
vc262@cornell.edu
What is the perfect pizza topping combination?
Mozzarella and basil
If you didn’t choose to be a chemist, what would you be doing instead?
I love linguistics and American history, so probably one of those. Maybe I’d study fashion design if I wanted to be more creative.
Thora McIsaac (June 2022 – present)
Chemistry, Class of 2025
tkm42@cornell.edu
Do you have any hobbies?
I’ve played the fiddle since I was young and am really into music. I also love playing volleyball and going to different coffee shops to read.
What’s your favorite flower/plant?
I love birch trees, they remind me of my childhood home.
Ethan Amoh (June 2023 – present)
Chemistry, Class of 2026
eaa79@cornell.edu
What is your favorite caffeinated beverage? Tea? Coffee? Soda?
Matcha lattes.
What’s your favorite thing about Ithaca?
My favorite thing about Ithaca is being able to markedly see the changes in nature each season.
Former Members:
Postdoctoral researchers:
Nikki Thiele (May 2016 – December 2019)
Research Scientist, Oak Ridge National Laboratory.
Ph.D. 2016, Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Florida
B.A. 2009, Biology, SUNY Potsdam
Karthika Kadassery (June 2020 – December 2021)
Ph.D. 2020, Chemistry, University at Buffalo
B.S. 2015, Chemistry, Centre for Excellence in Basic Sciences
Anthony Sementilli (February 2021 – March 2022)
Ph.D. 2020, Chemistry, Emory University
B.S. 2015, Chemistry, Saint Joseph’s College
Todd Poe (July 2022 – June 2023)
Ph.D. 2022, Inorganic Chemistry, Florida State University
M.S. 2020, Inorganic Chemistry, Florida State University
B.S. 2018, Chemistry, Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania
Graduate Students:
Sarah Nathan (August 2015 – December 2017)
Research Scientist II, Ecolectro Inc.
Ph.D. 2017, Chemistry, Cornell University
M.S. 2015, Chemistry, Cornell University (under Prof. John Marohn, Ph.D.)
B.S. 2012, Chemistry and Biochemistry, Idaho State University
Kevin Knopf (November 2015 – March 2018)
Process Chemist, Eurofins Scientific
M.S. 2017, Chemistry, Cornell University
B.S. 2015, Chemistry, Central Connecticut State University
William Schumacher (December 2016 – September 2018)
M.S. 2018, Chemistry, Cornell University
B.S. 2016, Chemistry, Point Loma Nazarene University
Jesse Spivey (November 2017 – October 2019)
M.S. 2019, Chemistry, Cornell University
B.S. 2017, Chemistry, University of Denver
A Paden King (November 2015 – June 2020)
Postdoctoral researcher at the NIH with Freddy Escorcia
Ph.D. 2020, Chemistry, Cornell University
M.S. 2017, Chemistry, Cornell University
B.S. 2015, Chemistry, Mercer University
B.A. 2015, English Literature, Mercer University
Sierra Marker (November 2015 – June 2020)
Postdoctoral researcher at the NIH with Martin Schnermann
Ph.D. 2020, Chemistry, Cornell University
M.S. 2017, Chemistry, Cornell University
B.S. 2015, Biochemistry, Binghamton University
Chilaluck Charlene Konkankit (January 2017 – June 2020)
Postdoctoral researcher at Cornell with Harold Scheraga and Shalom Rackovsky
Ph.D. 2020, Chemistry, Cornell University
M.S. 2017, Chemistry, Cornell University
B.S. 2015, Chemistry, University of California, Irvine
Wade Heidel (March 2020 – December 2020)
B.S. 2019, Chemical Engineering, Bucknell University
Joshua Woods (December 2016 – September 2021)
Postdoctoral researcher at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory with Rebecca Abergel
Ph.D. 2021, Chemical Engineering, Cornell University
M.S. 2018, Chemical Engineering, Cornell University
B.S. 2016, Chemical Engineering, Syracuse University
Megan Keane (November 2020 – November 2021)
M.S. 2020, Chemistry, Tennessee Technological University
B.S. 2019, Chemistry, Tennessee Technological University
A.S. 2017, General Studies, Walter State Community College
Aohan Hu (November 2017 – July 2022)
Ph.D. 2022, Chemistry, Cornell University
M.S. 2019, Chemistry, Cornell University
B.S. 2017, Chemistry, Wuhan University
Zhouyang (Tracky) Huang (November 2018 – June 2023)
Ph.D. 2023, Chemistry, Cornell University
M.S. 2020, Chemistry, Cornell University
B.S. 2018, Chemistry, University of California, Santa Barbara University
Visiting Students and Scholars:
Katia Samper (June 2016 – October 2016)
M.S. 2012, Science and Technology in Chemistry, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona
B.S. 2011, Chemistry, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona
Santiago Tijaro Bulla (Summer 2017)
Universidad de los Andes
Charles Remillard (Summer 2017)
Teacher at Scholars Academy, Rockaway Park, Queens
Katarzyna Kurzatkowska (Summer 2018)
Department of Biosensors, Institute of Animal Production and Food Research Polish Acadamia of Science
Daria Tolmachova (June 2023-December 2023)
M.S. 2023, Chemistry, Cornell University
Undergraduate Students:
Maggie Walsh (Summer 2023)
Alexis Rooney (2021 – 2023)
Kaitlyn Yeh (2020 – 2023)
Mary Elias (Summer 2022)
Hailie O’Bryan (Summer 2021)
David Fiszbein (2018 – 2021)
Samantha Granja (2019 – 2020)
William Schulden (2019 – 2020)
Joshua Ward (2018 – 2019)
Hendryck Gellineau (2015 – 2019)
Graduate Student in the MD/Ph.D program at Northwestern University
Mary Elizabeth (Meg) Gordon (2017 – 2019)
Brendan Murphy (2016 – 2018)
Nicholas Pino (2015 – 2016)
Graduate Student at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Jung-Eun “Greg” Ahn (2015 – 2016)
Liang Liang Feng (2015 – 2016)
Julie Urgiles (2015 – 2017)
Student at Harvard Medical School
Valencia Lambert (Summer 2017)
